Key holder



Oct. 24, i950 Q M, BALLQU 2,527,491

KEY HOLDER Filed Nov. 8, 1947 grave/wko@ Charles M Bambini Patented Oct. 24, 1950 KEY HOLDER Charles M. Ballou, Foxboro, Mass., assgnor to Swank, Inc., a corporation of Delaware Application November 8, 1947, Serial No. 784,783

2 Claims. (Cl. 70-459) This invention relates to a key holder such as may be used for grouping a plurality of keys and holding them in definite relation.

Key holders of this general character have been provided in various ways. Usually some locking device is provided to prevent accidental opening and frequently opening is somewhat difcult for the removal of one or more keys from the group.

One of the objects of this invention is to provide a device which will maintain itself in locked position to hold the keys in grouped relation but which may be easily released for detaching one or more of the keys from the group.

Another object of this invention is to provide an arrangement so that by pressure in one direction upon the finger piece the retaining means will spring to open position so as to permit the removal of one or more keys from the group.

Another object of this invention is to provide an arrangement whereby the resilient means which serve to operate the device will also serve to move the parts into locked relation when the jaws are moved to closed position.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device which may be made simply and in multiple parts which may be easily assembled for completion of the device.

With these and other objects in View the nvention consists of detail of certain novel features of construction as will be more fully described and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure l is a perspective view of the key holder with keys indicated in dotted lines thereon.

Figure 2 is a partial sectional View of the key holder in closed position.

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 2, but illustrating the jaws in open position.

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the latch, and

Figure 5 is a perspective view of the moveable jaw.

In proceeding with this invention, a hollow cap is provided in which one jaw is secured in xed relation to the cap so as to extend outwardly from the cap generally in a curved or arcuate shape. From the other side of the hollow cap there extends another jaw to abut the free end of the rst jaw and which is pivoted in the cap with a spring acting upon it, tending to swing the pivoted jaw about its pivot to move the free ends of the jaws apart. A latch is pivoted in the cap which is under spring action tending to move it into a position to block swinging movement of the pivoted jaw. The latch has a finger piece protruding thru the cap so as to be accessible for swinging the latch to release the pivoted jaw and permit the spring, which acts upon it, to force the jaw about its pivot to open position.

With reference to the drawings, I0 designates a cap which is of sheet metal construction and may be drawn from a piece of iiat stock. This Vcap provides opposite side walls II, a top wall I2 extending between the-side walls II, and end walls I3 also extending between the side Walls II. This cap is hollow and the end walls I3 flare outwardly as they extend downwardly from the top wall I 2.

Within this hollow structure there is secured a xed jaw I4 which has one end I5 entering the hollow cap and secured in position by a rivet I6, and also by means of solder to flxedly relate it to the cap. A jaw Il is pivoted as at I8 in-the cap, andvhas a free end I9 which may swing into abutting relation with the free end 20 of the fixed jaw I. On the other side of the pivot I8 the end portion 3! of this pivoted jaw is provided With a recess or notch 22 in which there rests a spring 23 which acts between this recess 22 and the corner portion 24 of the cap. The spring tends to swing the jaw I about its pivot so as to move the ends I3 and 2U apart.

A latch, designatedk generally 25 and shown in perspective in Figure 4, is pivoted as at 26 in the cap. A pin 2`I extending from the latch serves to center or retain a spring 28 in position against the latch and acts between this portion of the latch and the corner 29 of the cap so as to swing the latch downwardly into the position shown in Figure 2, so that its notch 30 will receive the end 3! of the moveable jaw and prevent the moveable jaw from swinging about its pivot I8 under inuence of the spring 23.

There is an opening 36 provided in the top wall I2 of the cap, thru which there extends a finger piece 31 on the latch 25. When the latch is in the position shown in Figure 2, and it is desired to have the jaw Ii swing outwardly, it is merely necessary to press upon'this nger piece 3l in the direction shown by the arrow 38 in Figure 3, so as to lift the latch suiciently to permit the end 3| of the jaw I'I to move past the notch 3l) and swing the jaw I'I to open position, at which time the keys shown in dotted line at 39 may be removed from the key holder.

After the key holder is open the latch 25 is released and spring 28 will move it so that portion 32 thereof will engage with the end 3| of the 3 moveable jaw and when this moveable jaw is urged to closed position the latch will be swung about its pivot until the end 3l snaps past the abutment notch 39.

If it is desired to suspend the key holder then an eye 4D may extend thru the Wall I2 and be anchored in this position by a head 4|. A chain 42 may be secured to this eye as indicated in Figure 1.

I claim:

l. A key holder comprising a hollow cap, a jaw member xed in said cap with a free end eX- tending therefrom, a second jaw member pivoted in said cap and when in closed position having its free end located in close proximity to the end of the fixed jaw member, a spring engaging said pivoted jaw and urging it about its pivot to separate said free ends, and a latch pivoted in said cap and having a finger piece accessible through said cap for locking said pivoted jaw against movement by said spring until manually moved, said latch being spring urged to locking position and provided with a notch to receive the end of said pivoted jaw and so shaped adjacent said notch that movement of the pivoted jaw to closed position swings the latch about its pivot against the action of its spring until the said end lodges in said notch.

2. A key holder as in claim 1 wherein said latch and jaws are in generally the same plane.

CHARLES M. BALLOU.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 311,791 Spielman Feb. 3, 1885 705,368 Lomas July 22, 1902 1,484,532 Quigley Feb. 19, 1924 2,344,348 Forsell Mar. 14, 1944 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 102,478 Great Britain Mar. 1, 1917 

